Mods and admins, please don't move this topic, I'm posting it here because it is intended to be read and replied by those members who read this section of the whole Trek United. Thank you very much.

Well, that's the question. Does CBS hate Star Trek? First of all, let me tell you that I'm not that kind of fanatic who thinks that anyone who doesn't like his favorite show is an ass. Not at all. I'm not talking from there, I'm serious when I ask this question. Why? Please keep reading.

I've read somewhere that CBS didn't want another Star Trek movie; and frankly, I wouldn't blame them after seeing that "Insurrection" and "Nemesis" didn't work. But someone kept trying so hard on Mr. Moonves that he finally had to say "OK, but this is the last chance" or something like that, and then Star Trek XI made it.

Also, back in 2004/2005, "Enterprise" could have survived and lived a long and prosperous life, if it wasn't for the fact it was being broadcasted through UPN. Back then, UPN was digging its own grave (it died one year after ENT's cancellation). The show could have been aired through another network, but CBS just didn't want to even try that.

Besides, I remember Scott Bakula saying in an interview back then during ENT's 4th season that all the people from inside CBS who were supportive of the Star Trek franchise, were leaving, until there was noone left in there supporting Trek.

Star Trek has been making money for CBS for decades and it keeps giving them earnings even if there's no Trek on tv or in the movies. So why does it look like they just don't want it, why does it look like they just want to get rid of it? Star Trek is one of the two major sci-fi franchises, and it's as if they didn't care.

Well, maybe they actually just don't care... a while ago, CBS cancelled "Eleventh Hour" at the end of its 1st season, and the show was getting no less than 10 million viewers every week... what's up with them?

Without trying to sound egotistical... (...) I have my own ideas and aspirations which were countlessly shot down in the past. I've no interest in being in that position again.

Mr Moonves (CBS) had nothing to do with the New Movie, as Paramount is the Theatrical end of things.

CBS is tv only, and Mr Moonves has a say over TV

It is my belief that the Enterprise fans writing in about Enterprise back in 2005-2006 that created so much buzz in CBS and Paramount that showed them there was still a good market for Trek.

Paramount decided to go with a movie that could satisfy all trek fans (not just Enterprise fans) as well as draw in new fans.

And the New Movie did well, the best preformer of all Trek Movies!

Rumors have flown about Les hating Trek, He has said he is not a fan of it, and does not hate it either.

The absence of Trek on TV is politacal, as between 2001 and 2005 a lot of Execs that were fans of the show that were in decision making posistions at CBS and Paramount, left and or retired, that along with the struggeling UPN (owned by CBS) ment an untimly demise for Trek on TV.

From what one of the secrataires at CBS told me over a year ago on one of my phones calls, she said there are still many key people there at CBS who would bring Trek back in a moment, but they currently do not have the authority, she went on to say that when the right people get promoted it would help trek get back on TV. She even went so far as to say that there were many there who hated to see Enterprise go, I ask her if it could come back, she though it could if things were right.

I don't think it is a good idea to question if CBS hates Star Trek or not, just make sure nobody says anything about Mr Moonves etc like the campaign of old, It hurt our standing amongst fans when cartoons appeared like that one that portrayed Mr Moonves as the devil or some similiar creature and Tim and fellow fans were heroes or whatever it was.

Anyway to get CBS potentially excited about anything Enterprise we got to get the Enterprise fans together first to show the people, the demographics etc are there then worry about whats in the minds of the Executives at CBS, without more fans talking across the vast world of the Internet etc, CBS might take a brief look at us and say hey theres 10 people really wanting it's not worth our time

Playing devil's advocate for a moment, to give this thread some balance...

CBS did plough money into remastering the Original Series. But if you ask me that could've been done, in addition to keeping Enterprise on the air somewhere. TV companies generally find funding for restoration projects, anticipating DVD sales and other marketing, without having to order pulling the current team from production. No way would EON consider sacking Daniel Craig and culling the latest film, to spend time cleaning up prints of Sean Connery in Dr. No instead. They did both! It's small beer compared to keeping a show going, I suppose. Returning TOS to the airwaves felt like a peace offering, to placate hardcore fans with withdrawal symptoms. Also an exercise in advance promotion for the JJ Abrams' film, dictating which incarnation of Star Trek would be the next priority.

How much better would it have been to broadcast Enterprise Season 5 and TOS Remastered side-by-side back in 2006? Double-bills of Star Trek on CBS, the Sci Fi Channel or another network or cable station?

That would of been a good double bill, Enterprise going first then TOS Remastered but perhaps CBS wants something hotter to come from Star Trek than what Enterprise was giving in terms of revenue etc before they declare interest in a Star Trek series

That's true, CBS got the rights in 2006 around a year after Enterprise went down. But you have to figure plenty within Paramount's TV division knew their own business well enough to realise they facing a corporate take over in advance. The first remastered episode of Star Trek was broadcast in September 2006. Consider the many months of talks and negotiations about getting that project to the screen, then pre-production, cleaning up the 35mm prints in preparation for Dave Rossi, Mike & Denise Okuda to oversee digital work on. Factor that in and it has to be late 2005 or early 2006 at the latest.

Les Moonves is credited with making the decision to end Star Trek's 18 year run. Low and behold he still has the final say over at CBS now.

There have been rumors and theories about Les Moonves and other executives having it in for Trek for years. I'll admit, there are times when it really does seem that way. But I'd be cautious about jumping to conclusions. It's hard to say for sure.

I think AT does have a point in saying that it's not what we should focus on. Whatever their feelings are, it doesn't really change what people have to do. The formula to get it back remains the same; make a good enough point, and they'll bring it back. No matter how bad their feelings on Trek may or may not be, if people convince them it can make a good profit, they'll bring it back. They're business men. They want to make a profit.

The dollar rules the day, now for us to succeed on any level we'll need those DVDs and books of Enterprise selling like Big Macs at a local McDonalds (and most of us right here own Enterprise books and DVD sets) or we gather 20,000 fans on Facebook well alot more than that but thats a good number to start with anything to light up the dollar symbols in Executives eyes remember if a show doesn't earn ratings they don't earn sponsor cash and the show gets pulled that's what happened to Enterprise and yes the UPN situation didn't help with it's sports priorities overriding Enterprises airing time but i am willing to bet the sports paid more.

So yeah we shouldn't be worrying about if we think CBS hates Star Trek or not and the Execs attitudes etc, we should be worrying about getting the new Save Enterprise ready for the fans approval and support so the journey to making Enterprise appealing to the Execs is alot smoother than it is right now

Many realize that Trek on TV had been losing an audiance with the premire of DS9, way down from nxt gen, voyager held at apx DS9 levels, Enterprise was lower than Voyager....

Then in season 4 of Enterprise with Manny Coto Calling the shots, Enterprise picks up viewership (with no promoting of the show), then B&B do the last episode and it tanks big time (many have said the worst episode in Trek History!).

Season 4 of Enterprise with Manny calling the shots proved that there was a need for a new creative team to get behind Trek.

B&B's contracts were up in 2006, Ent cancelled in 2005 hummmmm.

Often times producers and directors have in there contracts that if they are working on an active product at the time there contract comes up for renewal they will get automaticlly renewed for another term of the same duration, Ricks 1st contract was for 20 years!

Now if this was the case for his contract, and CBS/Paramount wanted to bring in a new and fresh creative team for Trek, they had to get rid of the old team first, and had to cancel Enterprise to do it.

Also remember Rick was really pushing to do a movie in 2005/2006, and Paramount said in a story that was released on the internet, no movie, no TV for 10 years! then in the fall of 2006 (after Ricks contract had ended) rumors started to fly about a Movie with JJ at the helm! And Summer 2007 the Movie was in production!

Fastforward to today, Star Trek at the box office was a huge success, the best theatrical preformer in the franchises history, currently 255 million in the USA and over 350 million worldwide!

Another proof that a new creative team was needed.

A lot of polotics, but CBS/Paramount do not hate Trek, just the opposite they will take the needed steps to improve it, and make it as long lasting as possible, because it has made them a lot of money, and can continue to.

With Trek making big money, CBS has to be thinking about cashing in on the current publicity of the movies, Paramount has commisioned a sequil with the same actors!

Clearly the time is right for Trek to return to TV but what will it be?

Thats why the time is right for all Enterprise fans to get busy and send letters and make phone calls to CBS, we want Star Trek Enterprise on there minds so it stands a chance of coming back with new episodes!

Later Bruce

Should also be noted that since SyFy has been airing the show, (they have promoted it on there own channel way better that UPN ever did) that many new fans have found the show and were surprised to here that it was rerun and long cancelled! The show has continued to gain new fans and a larger following!

Then in season 4 of Enterprise with Manny Coto Calling the shots, Enterprise picks up viewership (with no promoting of the show), then B&B do the last episode and it tanks big time (many have said the worst episode in Trek History!).

I'm not sure that's entirely accurate. My understanding is that Voyager's ratings were about the same as Enterprise's (on average; it had higher highs, but also lowerer lows), and I don't think Ent.'s ratings increased by the end.

That being said, its ratings weren't as awful as some people say. They were better than BSG or Stargate: Atlantis got, and both of these shows were considered successful.

About a month after the new ST movie, I tried getting the box set for Enterprise, they didn't have them at one store (but had the other series), so I went to another store, they didn't have it either, so this time I thought I'd ask if they had the box set (because I may have missed it), the salespersons response surprised me... the box sets for Enterprise were pulled from the shelf by the producers, and gave me a look of confusion (ie: he didn't understand why they did).

Now, I didn't give it much thought at the time, but a couple of weeks later I got to thinking about it, and started to wonder if they pulled the DVD's because they knew that Enterprise was gaining popularity and support, and maybe they just didn't want that.

Now I've read the posts here, and wonder even more if this is indeed the case?

Thank you guys for sharing your thoughts on this subject.
I don't hate CBS at all, it's just, as some of you said, that sometimes looks like the network is not OK with Star Trek. And I know they're on it for the money, and I don't blame them for that, it's the way it works.
I just wanted to know if it was just me getting this feeling.

Anyways, what seems very weird to me, is the way ENT was handled... like, airing it on UPN that not only was limted on reaching audiences, but also they didn't want the show, and the execs in charge of ENT just pulled the plug on it instead of trying to make it work, which wouldn't mean any more money from them to spend on it, but money from others (earnings)... and we're talking about a franchise that makes millions for its name only...

Edited by John Doe, 08 August 2009 - 12:26 AM.

Without trying to sound egotistical... (...) I have my own ideas and aspirations which were countlessly shot down in the past. I've no interest in being in that position again.

Many things don't add up when it comes to what was done with Enterprise, the network it was put on, the promotional aspects even outside the USA were poor, the merchandise never being completed and with figurines in various numbers of availability or never produced and the high cost of a box set like as i wrote above $118 for one box set even in 2005 thats an extreme price.

Maybe they actually didn't want "Enterprise"? I'm guessing here, but I see many common elements with Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse". Fox produced the series, but there were meetings between Whedon and the network's execs, then some scripts were re-written, then Fox decides to air "Dollhouse" on Fridays, which seems to be the worst day of the week in the U.S. for tv shows, the day where they send the shows to die on their last season, and Dollhouse seems to be doomed even while it's being aired, and then Fox gives the show a 2nd season.

I mean, the common elements are not those details, which may differ, but what I'm guessing that they green-lit the show but actually they didn't want it? And they just kept it on the air but didn't do anything to make it work, on the contrary, they sent it to its own demise.

Without trying to sound egotistical... (...) I have my own ideas and aspirations which were countlessly shot down in the past. I've no interest in being in that position again.

It is possible after Enterprise crashed on it's original run they wanted to clear the decks and put all the eggs in the Star Trek XI basket and hope something spins off from that so they have pulled Enterprise boxed sets off the shelves, i think it was noted by another Australian that Enterprise is hard to obtain in the country.

Enterprise could just be a victim of the saying "Last one in the door is the first one out the door" a saying which i think is appropriate when it comes to business.